Combination sunshade and clothes drier



Nov. 4, 1952 H. GRIFFIN COMBINATION SUNSHADE AND CLOTHES DRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1948 Nov. 4, 1952 H. GRIFFIN 2,616,570

COMBINATIONSUNSHADE AND CLOTHES DRIER Filed April 27, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT R i /AZ ATTORNEY Nov. 4, 1952 H. GRIFFIN 2,616,570

COMBINATION SUNSHADE AND CLOTHES DRIER Filed April 27, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 6 A MLATTORNEY Nov. 4, 1952 H. L. GRIFFIN 2,616,570

COMBINATION SUNSHADE AND CLOTHES DRIER Filed April 27, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A621. ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1952 COMBINATION SUNSHADE AND CLOTHES DRIER Harry L. Griffin, New York, N. Y., assignor to Dry-Or-Shade, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 27, 1948, Serial No. 23,571

1 Claim.

This invention relates to awnings, sun shades and the like, and more especially to combination sun shades and clothes driers.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide an improved combination sun shade and clothes drier by means of which the arms are mounted in pairs or groups so that .a covering, such as canvas and the like, when once positioned on the arms, may, when out of use, be rolled up onto, or supported by, one set of arms and thereupon the several arms with their clothes .lines used as a clothes drier, and thus use one set of arms to store or support the rolled up canvas while the clothes lines are being used for drying purposes, and at least one of the other arms be collapsible to facilitate removal and placing of the canvas on the arms, and in turn also facilitate rolling the canvas onto the It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved sun shade and clothes drier having two pairs of arms associated with. links that are slidably associated with the main supporting shaft so that one pair maybe independently folded down and thereby facilitate placing the covering, such as canvas, on, or over, the arms, and in turn facilitate removing the canvas from the arms.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of the combination sun shade and clothes drier erected according to one embodiment partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a iragrnental side elevation partly in section and collapsed in part.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, with one-half of the sun shade rolled up.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line i4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. l'with one-half of the sun shade rolled up.-

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 1-'l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective partly in section enlarged showing one form for connecting the awning to the outer end of one of the awning supporting arms.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 7 but with two of the awning supporting arms folded down as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is afragmental section on the line l-l-l l of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a fragmental side elevation partly in section of the connection shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmental perspective showing another form of means for connecting the awning to the outer end of an awning supporting arm with the connecting means in its initial connecting position.

Fig. 14 is a fragmental section of the connecting means shown in Fig. 13 in its final connecting position.

Fig. 15 is a fragmental side elevation partly in section of a second form for anchoring a part of the awning in rolled up position.

Fig. 16 is a detached perspective of the anchoring means shown in Fig. 15.

Fig. 1'7 is a section showing four base arms which may be connected to the supporting post to form a base for the same instead of the base shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 18 is a fragmental side elevation of the base arms shown in Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a fragmental plan view of the upper end of the means for connecting the awning supporting arms to the main supporting post.

Fig. 20 is a fragmental side elevation partly in section of the embodiment shown in Fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is a fragmental perspective showing a see-saw and merry-go-round device attachable to the main supporting post.

Fig. 22 is a fragmental side elevation partly in section of a collapsible table that may be attached to the main supporting post.

Fig. 23 is a fragmental bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 22, partly in section.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive, 19 and 20, it will appear that there is provided a concrete base i formed in the ground having embedded therein the tubular socket 2. In this socket 2, according to this embodiment, a first tubular member 3 is positioned and anchored in place by the pin 3. In this tubular member 3 in turn there is positioned the main supporting post 5 which preferably as shown in Fig. 1, is also composed of tubular stock, and has formed at its lower end a plug 6 having a lower tapering extremity I. When the post 5 is intended to be thrust into the ground, then the tapering portions 1 and 9 will of course come into service. However, if a base, such as the base I, is provided with a tubular socket 2 and tubular member 3, then excellent results have been achieved when a transverse pin 8 extends through the tubular member 3 and the tapering portion 1 is provided with a collar I25 and a,

tapering portion 9 spaced from the collar I25 by the shank I25. The shank I26 is narrow enough to clear the elongated slot I21 in the pin 8 and the terminal tapering portion 9 is small enough to clear the enlargement I23 at the end of the slot I21, but the opening I28 is smaller than the collar I25 so that in the process of positioning the post 5, the terminal 9 and shank I26 will initially pass through the opening I25 but not permit the collar I25 to pass therethrough. Thereupon as the pin 8 is drawn over by the wing nut I29, the slot I21 will register with the shank I25. In the final position shown in Figs. 41 and 5, the post will be anchored by the pin 9 against removal but be free to rotate and the collar I25 will cooperate with the edges of the slot I21 to form a two-line bearing to substantially reduce the friction between the two.

The upper end of the main post 5, according to the present invention, preferably has secured thereto, a cap I9, see Figs. 19 and 20, consisting of a tubular portion I I closed at the top and provided with an upwardly protruding pin I2. The cap III may be secured to the post 5 by any suitable means, such for instance as the pin I3. The cap I9 in the present instance, has four pairs of bifurcations I4, I5, I6 and II constituting jaws to receive the inner free ends of the arms I3, I3, 20 and 2|, respectively. These arms I8, I9,

and 2|, in the present instance, are composed of tubular stock that is rectangular in cross section and curved downwardly slightly when in extended position as shown in Fig. l.

The arms I8 to 2|, inclusive, in turn are arranged in pairs, the arms I8 and 2|) constituting one pair, and the arms I9 and 2| constituting the other pair. The arms l8 and 29 are operatively connected to the sleeve 22 slidably mounted on the post 5, and the arms I9 and 2| are operatively connected to the sleeve 23 also slidably mounted on the post 5 but below the sleeve 22. The sleeve 22, as shown in Fig. 3, has pivotally connected thereto the links 24 and 25 which are in turn pivotally connected to the projections 26 and 21, respectively, extending down from the arms I8 and 2! respectively. The sleeve 23, on the other hand, has pivotally connected thereto the links 28 and 29, see Fig. 1, which are pivotally connected to the projections and 3|, respectively, extending down from the arms I9 and 2|, respectively.

The arms I8, I9, 29 and 2! when used to support clothes lines are preferably provided with a plurality of grommets 33, Fig. 8, extending through from one vertical wall to the other of each arm I9, I9, 29 and 2|. In the present instance, each arm is provided with eight of these grommets 33 through which extend the cords 34 serving as clothes lines in one case and in another case serving in part to support the awning or canvas covering 35. The canvas covering 35, in the present instance, is substantially rectangular with a flange or apron 36 extending down from each side, as an instance, between the ends of the arms I8 and I9, between the ends of the arms I9 and 20, between the ends of the arms 29 and 2|, and between the ends of the arms 2i and I8. This covering 35 may have a reinforcement 3'! at the middle provided with an opening to receive the pin I2. The present device satisfies several valuable uses. As an instance, when the awning is in place on the arms I3 to 2| inclusive, and on the cords 34, it may serve as a sun shade on a beach or adjacent to a cabana,

or in the back yard of a home, and in turn when the awning 35 is removed or rolled up as herein-- after to be described, it may serve when used on a beach to dry beach clothes, bathing suits or the like, or when used in the back yard of a home as the conventional clothes drier.

One of the features of the present invention resides in the fact that the arms l8 to 2| may readily be manipulated to facilitate either for positioning the awning 35, for removing it, or for rolling it up. In extended or sun shade position, that shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, the sleeves 22 and 23 will be secured in place on the post 5 by any suitable means, such for instance as the pins 38 and 39, respectively, the pin 33 in the present instance being anchored to the sleeve by the chain 69, and the pin 33 anchored to the sleeve 23 by the chain II, the pins 38 and 39 in anchoring position extending through the sleeves 22 and 23, respectively, into openings formed in the post 5. To anchor the awning 35 to the arms I3 to 2|, inclusive, preferably the awning 35 is provided with a plurality of fastening devices, such as the devices 42, see Figs. 7 and 10 secured to the inner face of the awning 35, where the awning rests on the arms I8 and 29. Each of these devices I2 consists of one elongated fabric strip having two extensions 55 and 45 and one short fabric strip having two extensions 45 and 41. The extension 45 has a male fastening member 53 and the extension 4'! a female fastening member 49 which engage one another as shown in Fig. '7 after the extensions 45 and 41 are wrapped around an arm I8 or 28. The extension 44, see Fig. '7, has a female fastening member 55 at the free end thereof to cooperate with the male fastening member 5| on the outer face of the awning 35, one-half of the awning 35 being first rolled up into roll 52, Fig. 7, and then the extension 4 wrapped around it and the fastening member 59 at its free end brought over into anchoring engagement with the male fastening member 5!. Should the other half of the awning 35 also be rolled up, then the extension G5 would similarly be wrapped around such second rolled up portion, and the female fastening member 53 then brought into fastening engagement with the male fastening member 54 on the outer face of the awning 35. Preferably the male fastening members 5| and 5 are so spaced apart relative to the short strips 45 and M so that they will be positioned adjacent the vertical faces of the arm 20, as shown in Fig. 19. In the present instance, there are provided four such fastening devices 42 although obviously a greater or less number may be used Without departing from the general spirit of the invention. Furthermore, as shown, the arms I8 and 29 or at least the arms which are connected to the uppermost sleeve 22 alone have the fastening devices 42 connected thereto. In the process of rolling up one or both halves of the awning, preferably the lower arms I9 and 2| are first lowered into the position shown in Fig. 2 and then if at least one-half of the awning 35 has been rolled up into the roll 52, then the arms I9 and 2| may again be raised and one-half of the awning 35, see Figs. 6 and '7, will be rolled up and the clothes line portions of the cords 3 3 extending through the arm I9 cleared or liberated for receiving clothes, bathing suits and the like, and the other half of the awning 35 still be extended in sun shade position. Obviously in turn, if all of the clothes line portions are to be used for receiving clothes, then both halves of the awning may'berolled up nnto,i.and connected to,the arms I13 and 20,0r in somecases when :the :arms 19 and 2'! alone are dropped into the'position shown :in Fig. 2, the entire awning 35-may be removed.

.After the awning 35 has been removed, thenfor along the arms is andZG. Orelse a combination of devices-42 and'devices 55 may be usedin'which the devices 55 .merely supplement the devices '42.

.In the embodiment shownlin Fig. 15, two of the devices 55 are there shown .as connected to an arm :51, such as arm [hand by thepivotpin 53 to the arm 59, such as the link 24 in which case the devices 55 serve .for pivotally mounting the endsof the arms orlinks .59 in place of the projection 26 shown in Fig. 3.

When a pair of'devices 55 are used as shown in .Fig. 15, to function also as the abutments for the pin 58 of the link 59, the awning till rests on the arm '5 and preferably has fabric strips, such as the strips '36 and 47 shown in Fig. '7 to-supplement the devices 55 to secure the awning 60 to the arm 57. Each device 55 consists essentially of a U-shaped sheet metal bracket 5l having an intermediate web 62 provided with the upper openings 63 to receive fastening means for connecting the web 62 to the arm 51. The intermediate web 62 is also provided with a single opening 54. to .receive the pin 58. Each bracket 5| in addition has two legs 55 and 66, the upper leg having a slot 51, and the lower leg having an opening 55 through which passes the shank 69 of the pin 10. The shankES "a1so.'has a cross pin "it which in the lower position rests on the leg 55. In Fig. the pin 10 of the device "55 on the left is extended upwardly to engage the roll 12 of the arm 58 after it has been rolled up. To maintain the pin '15 in the raised position, the cross pin H is provided which can pass through the 'slot 6? when registeringwith the'sam'e. .After the cross pin H is so registered with the slot 61 and the pin It is raised, the pin 10 must'be turned so that the cross pin N then rests on the leg 65. If, as showninFig. 6, only one-half of the awning 50 is to be rolled'up, then of course the pin Ill ofthe other device '55 to'the right of the arm '51will'be maintained .in its lower position as shown, and only the pin liltothe left of thearm 57 anchored in its raised position.

In order to maintain the awning smooth and taut on the arms it to i. i, inclusive, and the cords 55, it has been found that if devices such as shown in Figs. 8, 9, l3 and 1e are used, the ends of the awning, such as awning 35, may easily'be maintained smooth and taut. The embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 consists essentially of a wire clip 73, see Figs. 8 and 9, which has a finger M extending into and through a pair of openings '55 formed in the adjacent walls of the arm 58. The bracket i5 also has two arms it and I! connected by the cross portion 18, which arms are preferably bent inwardly to frictionally engage the opposite outer faces of the arm l8. The cross piece 78 of the bracket 13 preferably has secured thereto a fabric strip 19 which is secured to the inner face of the awning 35. In order to increase the frictional engagement of the arm 11 and also to guide the arm 11 into anchoring position at the endofthe arm I 8, the arm 11 preferably'has an extension 80. Depending upon the composition of the awning 35, it may either shrink or stretch during use. For this reason, additional openings, such as the openings 8| and 82, may beprovided to receive the finger M. For extreme tautness or tension the finger l would of course be inserted in the opening 82, and when less tension or shrinkage takes'place the finger it can be inserted either in the'opening 8| or 75. In the use of this bracket 73, it will be attached to the awning 35 by the strip 15 as aforesaid. After the awning 35 has been positioned on the arms i8 and '25 with its reinforcement 3'2 slipped over the pin l2, the clip 13 will initially have its finger M inserted into one of the sets of openings, as aninstance, the openings 75, and then the clip bent downwardly into the position shown in Fig. '3 beyond the outer freeend of the arm I8.

In the embodiment showninFigs. l3 and i4, instead of the wire bracket 13, there is provided a sheet metal bracket 83 which has at one end a fabric strip 65 which is secured to the inner face of'the awning 85, see Fig. 14. The bracket 33 also has a finger 85 to be inserted in any one of the openings 81 formed in the upper web 88 of the arm-89, such as the arm 18. Preferably the web 88 also has an extended slot 90 to frictionally receive the projection 91 mounted on the bracket 83 when the bracket 83 is pressed down into awning tensioning position, that shownin Fig. 14.

In some instances it may be desirable instead of securing the post 5 into a tubular socket 2, such as illustrated in Fig. 1, 'to secure the same into the ground by the device shown in Figs. 17 and 18. Here the post 92 in place of the post 5 is mounted in the tubular member '93 in place of the tubular member 3 and this tubular member93 in turn is connected to a sleeve 95 by any suitable means, such as the set screw 95. The sleeve 5 see Figs. 17 and 18, in the present instance, is provided with four tubular fittings 95, 91, 98 and 99 to receive the arcuate arms Hi8, EDI, I02 and I03, respectively. These arcuate arms in the present instance are provided with openings at the outer'ends to receive the spikes I84 which may be driven into the ground as shown in Fig. 18. In order to anchor the spikes I84 in position on the arms 30, 1M, I82 and I83, preferably as shown in Fig. 18, cotter pins I36 are secured to the spikes til directly beneath these arms. In order to compensate fora ground surface that is notoperfectly horizontal some of the arms may be spaced from the ground surface E55 as is the case with the arm H3! in Fig. 18. The set screw 95 also cooperates with the arms 100 to 53, in-

clusive, to accommodate various levels of ground surface. .As an instance, when the position of the arms M5 to 55, inclusive, has once been determined by the spikes 1%, in order to afford an additional brace or support, the set screw 95 may be loosened to allow the tubular member 53 to descend into engagement with the supporting surface I05 and thereupon the set screw 95 fastened in the position shown in Fig. 18.

The tubular member 93 may have secured thereon a sleeve I06, see the sleeve H15 in Fig. 21, mounted on the tubular member H11. Above the sleeve i 05 there is rotatably mounted the diminished post I08 to be surrounded by the yoke portions I09 and H0 of the arms HI and H2 which are provided with the seats H3 and H4, respectively, to form a see-saw and/or merry-goround. The yoke elements I09 and III! may be secured to the post I08 by the pivot pin I I5.

In place of the tubular member I01 there may be provided the tubular member I I6 to which are connected the hinge brackets I I? and I I8 to which are secured the table leaves H9 and I20, respectively. The table leaves I I9 and I25 in turn have pivotally connected thereto the links I2I and I22, respectively, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to the sleeve bracket I23 slidably mounted on the tubular member I I6. This sleeve bracket I 23 may be secured in the position shown in Fig. 22 by the wing nut I24 clamping the opposing jaw members I25 and I26 of the sleeve bracket :23 into anchoring engagement with the tubular member II6. When it is desired to drop the table leaves I I9 and I20 into the dash and dot line position shown in Fig. 22, it will only be necessary to turn the wing nut I24 to free the sleeve bracket I23 and permit the sleeve bracket I23 to slide down and therewith draw down the table leaves H9 and IE0.

In the interest of reducing the weight of the apparatus to a minimum, the arms I8 to 29, inclusive, the links 24, 25, 28 and 29, the post 5, socket 2, tubular member 3 and associated parts may all be composed of aluminum. For the purpose of reinforcement, obviously not only the arms I8 to 2|, inclusive, but also the links 24, 25, 28 and 29 may be composed of tubular stock instead of composed of fiat stock and rectangular in cross section as shown.

In some cases when the device is to be used on the beach, post shown in Fig. 1 may be used without the tubular socket 2 and tubular member 3, the tapering portion I being used initially to prepare or ready the opening for receiving the post 5. The overall length of the post 5 need not exceed five feet for the purpose aforesaid, and in turn excellent results have been achieved when the overall length approximates seven feet, eight inches from the top of the post 5 to the lower end of the socket 2 in the form shown in Fig. 1.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a combination sun shade and clothes drier, the combination of a supporting post, two pairs of arms pivotally connected to the side of the post adjacent the upper end thereof and extending at right angles to one another when outstretched, the arms of each pair being in substantial alinement with one another when out other pair of alined arms to the other of said sleeves, removable pins connecting the sleeves independent of one another near the upper end of said post to enable said arms to extend outwardly in outstretched position, the sleeves when liberated to slide downwardly enabling the arms and. links to extend down adjacent to said post in collapsible position, the removal of the pin from said lower sleeve without removing the pin from the upper sleeve enabling one pair of alined arms to descend downwardly in collapsed position adjacent to said post without aiiecting the outstretched position of the other pair of arms, a covering connected at its middle to the upper end of said post, clips for removably connecting the outer ends of said covering to the outer ends of said arms, cloth'esline sections connected to said arms and extending around said post beneath said covering, said clips enabling the covering to be liberated from at least one of the ends of the arms connected to the lower sleeve when said latter arms have been lowered and in turn enabling the covering so removed, without being liberated from the arms connected to the upper sleeve, to be rolled up onto the arms connected to the upper sleeve, and means for securing the awning so rolled up onto the arms connected to the upper sleeve so that when the lower sleeve is raised and the arms connected thereto returned into outstretched position, the arm from which the covering was removed will be in position to enable exposing to the sun the clothes suspended from its clothes line sections without removing the awning from the post and other outstretched arms.

HARRY L. GRIFFIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 239,976 Medart Apr. 12, 1881 249,511 Ellis Nov. 15, 1881 805,649 Kraber Nov. 28, 1905 882,960 Peterson Mar. 24, 1908 1,034,846 Thomas Aug. 6, 1912 1,173,665 Jakab Feb. 29, 1916 1,409,609 Stockle Mar. 14, 1922 1,546,613 Beman July 21, 1925 1,560,110 Skog Nov. 3, 1925 1,569,299 Metzger June 15, 1926 1,862,644 Wieneke June 14, 1932 1,969,821 Saxon et a1 Aug. 14, 1934 2,483,585 Lewis Oct. 4, 1949 2,503,386 Griffin Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 163,257 Switzerland Oct. 2, 1933 

